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UNITED STATES PATENT wALnsALDRIcn, OF DAYroN,'oHro, AssrG'NoR or enn-HALF HrszRIGHr i fro HENBY eHEReHELRoDn-or sAnE PLAoE.

. LIMPZROVEMENT IN 'H'oRsE-RAKES. 1

S pecification forming part of Lettere Patent No.` I 69,329, dated November 2, 18 75; application Vfiled .j

Y July 12,1875.y V- i p I OAsE 1.

To all whom fit may concert,

'Be it known that l, WALES ALDRICH, of J ayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have in vented certain new and neful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to that class of hayrakes in which the progressive motion of the machine is employed to elevate the teeth at the will of the driver to discharge the collected loads; and the improvement consists in the application and arrangement of certain novel devices Whereby the driver, by pressing his foot upon a treadle, causes the teeth to be elevated, whether the rake be going forward or backward, or is in the act of turnin g, the parts being so arranged that each wheel exerts an equal force in accomplishing the result, therehy preventing what is commonly called a side `ing parts.

A A represent the Wheels, supporting the axle B, which is the rake-head, and to which the thills G are attached in the ordinary manner, and connected by a platform, upholding the dri-Veris seat D. The teeth a, properly curved, are hinged in any convenient manner to the head, and passed through the vertical slots in the lit'ting-bar E, which is connected to the head by means of arms b, pivoted in front to its rearward top edge, and rigidly attached by their rear ends to the bar E. F represents a beam, of equal length with the axle, and hinged to its bottom forward edge, so that when pressed back its rear face coincides with the front face of the axle, and their bottom faces lie in the same plane. This beam has upon its top the bearing-journals c, arranged one at each end and one in the middle,

for supporting two shafts, d d', placed end to end in the middle bearing, (see Fig. 3,) and having keyed upon their outer ends the pinions e e'. These shafts, which have the appearance of a single one, are so arranged that they can be revolved independently of each other. Two spiral or other springs, f f, are adjusted between the axle and the beam F, and so arranged as to throw the beam forward, as seen in Fig. 2. It occupies this position constantly, except when pressed back to throw the pinions e e' into gear with the cog-wheels g gf, keyed upon the supporting- Wheels A A, with a common axis, and revolving` with them. For throwing them into gear I provide a pendent arm, h, rigidly attached to the beam F, and connected to the treadle i by means of a chain, j. The treadle is pivoted in the platform, in convenient reach of the driverls foot. H represents a curved arm, pivoted upon the axle, and having its rear end confined in a slot in the lifting-bar E. From the pivotal point the arm extends upward, and is bent forward at the top, which is provided with a shield or housing, Lin which is piv oted a spool, l. (Seen in dotted lines.) A chain, m, is passed over this spool, and has its ends attached, the one to the shaft d, and the other to the shaft df, at some little distance from the middle journal.

Such is the construction of my improved rake. Its operation is as follows: Supposing the horse to be going straight forward, the driver, upon coming to a windrow, presses his foot upon the treadle i, thereby throwing the pinions e' e into gear with the Wheels g' g. This causes the shafts d cl' to revolve and wind upon themselves the chain m, thus causing the lever H to elevate the lifting-bar E, and with it the rake-teeth, which discharge the collected hay. i

The shafts d d' may have cones n n', as seen' and jar as is usually the oase in most rakes. Should any hay be passed over, the driver can back the rake, causin g the teeth to rise, as before, and, dropping them behind the escaped hay, colleet it.

Again, by the employment of the separate shafts d d' and the equalizing devices, consisting` of the chain m and the spool l, arranged 1 as shown, the rake may bevdumped while in the act of turningby either or both Wheels, the chain being wound upon one shaft, or upon both, in opposite directions.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. -Theshafts d df, arranged as described, and provided with the pinions e e', in combiran ged as described.

Witnesses:

J. P. WHITMORE, OHAs. M. PEoK. 

